Police and forestry officials in Siem Reap province discovered more than 10 cubic metres of illegally logged second-grade timber yesterday in two trucks, one of them bearing a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces licence plate. No arrests were made.

Drivers of the two trucks were transporting the lower-grade wood from Oddar Meanchey’s Anlong Veng district to Siem Reap’s Angkor Chum district when police stopped them in Srenoy commune in Siem Reap’s Varin district at about 1am, said Soeun Sen, Siem Reap’s provincial anti-economic crimes police chief.

“The two drivers escaped into the dark,” Sen said.

Sen’s officers were still measuring the wood as of yesterday afternoon, but he estimated it may amount to more than 13 cubic metres.

Police were now looking into the origins of the trucks, one of which bore RCAF plates.

“We are investigating whether the truck bearing RCAF plate number belongs to an RCAF station, because sometimes people make fake licence plates,” Sen said.

Varin district deputy police chief Lay You said officers in his department had never come across that particular truck while patrolling the area.

Both trucks were taken by officials to the Varin district forestry administration office, Sen said.